Former Golden State Warriors guard Nico Mannion stunned fans when he made the decision to leave the team and the NBA to play for Italian club Virtus Bologna.

Before the season began, the Arizona product was forced to be away from the Virtus Bologna team after dealing with an intestinal virus he reportedly caught during the Tokyo Olympics. The photo of Mannion looking extra frail has been making the rounds on social media.

The Warriors' second-round pick addressed his Italian fans more than a week ago, expressing his disappointment in having to miss the opening festivities for Virtus Bologna to start the season.

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Here's a translation of an excerpt from Arizona Desert Swarm:

“Tonight the team will be presented in Folgaria and as you know I will not be able to be there. I want to apologize to the fans who have been making me feel their warmth by any means since I landed in Bologna, you can’t imagine how much I would like to be there with my teammates. But I’m getting better and I’ll be with them soon.

 

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Nico Mannion played 30 games in his rookie season for the Warriors. He averaged 4.1 points and 2.3 assists in just 12.1 minutes of playing time per contest. Hopefully Mannion gets back on the court soon, healthy and ready to roll.